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Kiss my Discovery Pass


Twispted

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Do you have the numbers on this? It's shocking, if true.

84% of the Discover Pass revenue is going to WSP because it's essentially losing all state General Fund operating cash. Also, only a dozen parks out of 120 make more money than they cost to operate so there really wasn't any choice other than move to a fee for use model for operating revenue.

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I don't want to pay to park my car at a trailhead and go for a hike-- philosophically I disagree with user fees. But I understand that in this recession there is a budget crisis in every state government and the Republican "let's make gov't smaller and just cut everywhere that we can" philosophy just doesn't work.

 

What are user fees? I don't have children-- I don't want to pay for schools. How does that sit with you, Fairweather? Is that the same thing as saying I don't live in King County so I don't want to pay for the 520 Bridge? I live a healthy lifestyle so I don't want to pay for some obese smoker's medicaid expenses... I have a good job so why do I have to pay for some lazy person to be on unemployment? I don't like football so I don't want to pay for the building of Quest Field. I don't read books so they should just close all the libraries, or make people pay to use them. Hmmm....

 

Interestingly, I just got my fishing license and I got a parking pass with it. It came with a "Discover Pass" yellow pass holder, but the pass insert was only for Fish and Wildlife Land. It cost me over $60 dollars, because I didn't turn in my crabbing catch record last fall. To me, that's a lot of money to pay to go crabbing and catch a few salmon. I feel like if I'm paying $60 for this license then I should get a Discover Pass for free.

 

I will go out and buy my $30 Discover Pass. I don't want the hassle of a ticket. I won't really notice it in my monthly budget. I think people who can't afford the $30/yr aren't going out to hike/climb/fish, they are either working at minimum wage or they are unemployed and don't have a ride to the mountains. There isn't much public transportation to the mtns, you know.

 

 

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NWFP: $30

Discovery Pass: $30

Mount Rainier Pass: $30

Sno-park pass: $40

 

God forbid my wife and I want to climb Rainier or Little T with an overnight reservation: $110

 

Total yearly pass budget $240. The its only $30 extra dollars argument is BS when you have to apply it 6 times a year.

 

The North Cascades National Park is the last refuge.

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What are user fees? I don't have children-- I don't want to pay for schools. How does that sit with you, Fairweather? Is that the same thing as saying I don't live in King County so I don't want to pay for the 520 Bridge? I live a healthy lifestyle so I don't want to pay for some obese smoker's medicaid expenses... I have a good job so why do I have to pay for some lazy person to be on unemployment? I don't like football so I don't want to pay for the building of Quest Field. I don't read books so they should just close all the libraries, or make people pay to use them. Hmmm....

 

 

 

I dont want to pay for our two wars, so I should not. Right? I think if you support these occupations then you should pay for them. If you dont then you get to opt out. To bad it dosent work like that. Kind of like the schools......

 

As far as unemployment. Not all on unemployment are lazy. I was on it for a while due to my job disappearing (not by my choice) I turned in about 10-15 applications a day, so did the other 30,000 unemployed in my state. Some are lazy....some are not.

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I don't want to pay to park my car at a trailhead and go for a hike-- philosophically I disagree with user fees. But I understand that in this recession there is a budget crisis in every state government and the Republican "let's make gov't smaller and just cut everywhere that we can" philosophy just doesn't work.

Newsflash: The "D's" are in charge here. Have been for a long, long time.

 

What are user fees? I don't have children-- I don't want to pay for schools. How does that sit with you, Fairweather?

This would be a fair analogy if parents and students were asked to pay for school parking in addition to the taxes they already pay for K-12. I guess in the case of higher ed, it actually is a fair comparison.

 

Is that the same thing as saying I don't live in King County so I don't want to pay for the 520 Bridge?

Yes, absolutely. We can always drive around. The state is violating state and federal law with its plan to "pre-toll" the 520 bridge. Likewise, its proposal to toll I90--already paid for with federal dollars. I have no problem with tolls used to pay off bonds/infrastructure, but this is not the same thing as placing a toll on state parks in perpetuity.

 

I live a healthy lifestyle so I don't want to pay for some obese smoker's medicaid expenses

Actually, I don't either. But the slippery slope here leads climbers and other risk-takers toward the same nanny-state abyss. Obamacare, anyone?

 

I have a good job so why do I have to pay for some lazy person to be on unemployment?

Unemployment is insurance that wage-earners pay into. We can talk about whether indefinite extensions are a good thing, but your premise here fails.

 

I don't like football so I don't want to pay for the building of Quest Field.

I agree. Taxpayers should never pay for privately owned/controlled stadiums.

 

I don't read books so they should just close all the libraries . . .

Um, it shows. May I suggest some Ed Abbey...

 

 

 

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Plus, the Discovery Pass now accounts for the majority of the WSP operating budget...

Do you have the numbers on this? It's shocking, if true.

84% of the Discover Pass revenue is going to WSP . . .

Your reply flips your premise upside down and does not answer the original question. Are you saying the Discovery Pass accounts for 84% of WSP budget? or that 84% of Discovery Pass revenue reaches WSP? The latter is not the same thing as the former. I'll assume this was accidental, but your posts read like a symptom of the bureaucratic doublespeak that taxpayers and outdoor users are getting tired of.

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Here's the link to the operating budget bill summary:

 

http://leap.leg.wa.gov/leap/Budget/Detail/2011/HOAgencyDetail0524.pdf

 

Parks budget starts on page 179. Line items 3 and 4 are the ones you're looking for. 3 is for the $20 million "transition" funds for moving to a fee-based agency, this is a one time deal. 4 is showing the removal of the 67 million general fund dollars from the parks operating budget.

 

So 84% of the revenue from the discover pass will go to parks to make up for the $67 million that was taken away. They're hoping that they'll make enough to cover that loss, but it's unlikely. That's why they're laying off staff now in anticipation of not making that revenue.

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Yep, the 84% of the Discover Pass use-fees is an attempt at a direct replacement for state General Fund operating dollars which have been eliminated in the attempt. DNR and WDFW have had other license and use fees forever - it's a major change in WSP funding, however.

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Went walking with the dogs and wife yesterday. To cool off we let the dogs play in a local lake, lots of cars parked at the boat launch, all needed this wonderful "Discovery Pass" to park there. Noticed a parking enforcement officer (Parks Department) ticketing cars so I engaged into conversation with him.

I was able to confirm the following:

1) Yes he was writing tickets for NOT having the license plate number written on the pass

2) Yes he was writing tickets if the pass was curled up and he could not read the license number

3) Yes he was writing tickets for not having a pass

4) Yes he was making rounds at the boat ramp very 15 minutes

5) Yes he was hired part time JUST TO WRITE TICKETS AT ONE PARK.

 

So I asked him why write tickets for a curled pass. (the heat was doing this to a lot of passes) Well he had a training session and they were enforcing a NO TOLERANCE policy. If the license plate info was hidden in anyway a ticket was to be issued. The person can send a copy of the pass in and have the ticket dismissed.

I walked away pretty much disgusted that we as a community have let this happen to us.

 

FYI - oh and he was doing a bang up job. By my count there were 12 tickets on windshields...figured he earned his pay. Not a jobs program LOL :lmao:

Edited by mr.radon
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Well at the exit 38 far side trailhead there is plenty of parking on the shoulder right before the discovery pass required sign and it adds about 1 min to any hikes to the crags or wherever hikers go in that area. I didn't see any no parking signs but who knows how long that will last.

 

Saw the new "parking area" last night...it disgusts me! Wasn't there last year when this pass wasn't required, glad decided it was necessary this year since they can charge us.

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